Finland: CFWIJ condemns criminal proceedings against investigative journalist Laura Halminen
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November 11, 2021, Helsinki- In a condemnable move, Finnish authorities have filed criminal charges against Laura Halminen and two other journalists associated with daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat over an investigative piece published in 2017. Authorities have accused the journalists of leaking state secrets, however no date for the trial has yet been set. All three journalists have denied the charges against them. The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on the Finnish authorities to drop all criminal charges lodged against the journalists. Proceeding against journalists covering critical issues in this manner is a blatant attempt to curb the freedom of the press. The country must ensure a safe and conducive environment for members of the press to report on sensitive issues - this includes eliminating the fear of government retaliation.
State authorities charged Laura Halminen as well as her colleague Tuomo Pietiläinen and Helsingin Sanomat editor Kalle Silfverberg under allegations of “leaking state secrets” in retaliation to an investigative piece published on December 16, 2017. The article was the first of a series of reports aiming to examine the role and conduct of the Finnish Intelligence Research Center, a military intelligence think tank. However, due to the backlash by the government after the first publication, subsequent articles of the series were dropped. When the CFWIJ reached out to Laura she was unable to comment on the matter due to the newspaper’s organizational policies.
Shortly after the piece was first published four years ago, the state attempted to intimidate Laura into silence. She was forced to destroy her computer and erase all her research and documentation. However, as she attempted to do so, an accident led her to calling the fire department. The firefighters reached her home but were accompanied by police officers, who conducted a search without notice and confiscated her computer, personal and professional company mobile phones, iPad, and several flash drives. The law enforcement authorities had no search warrant to justify the unannounced raid nor did they offer any consideration for the distress caused by the fire.
Now, after several years of intimidation and harassment, state officials have officially initiated criminal proceedings against the journalists. They face up to four years in prison if indicted. In response, Helsingin Sanomat has published a statement in support of their employees.
“We are very disappointed by and concerned about this situation, where three of our journalists are under threat of imprisonment for doing their job of communicating information in a country such as Finland. The three journalists have not disclosed national secrets. All the information published by HS is available from public sources,” Kaius Niemi, Senior Editor-in-Chief at the newspaper said.
Reportedly, the police had investigated Niemi and managing editor Esa Mäkinen in relation to the case as well, however the two have not yet been charged. Authorities are also investigating military intelligence officials to find out the source of the “leak”.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the actions of the Finnish state and demands that all charges against Laura Halminen and her colleagues be immediately dropped. The state cannot criminalize investigative reporting as it will set a dangerous precedent for those working in the field and uncovering stories of public interest. This is in blatant violation of the democratic right to free press and the lawsuit must immediately be dismissed.
